Sliding door clamp



Dec. 27, 1932. A. HULLEY ET AL SLIDING DOOR CLAMP Filed April 20, 1931Patented Dec. 27, 1932 jUNiri-:n .STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT HULLEY ANDWILLIAM J. HULLEY, or C ITY ISLAND, NEW YORK SLIDING- DOOR CLAMPApplication led April 20,

This ,invention relates or pertains to a clamp and more particularly toa sliding door clamp which will automatically lock in the position inwhich it is set. Furthermore, the members of the clamp serve as aguiding means for that edge of the sliding door to which they areattached.

ySliding doors as now constructed are open to the objection that theycannot be easily secured in the desired position and hence theyoftentimes slide farther open or shut thus wasting the time of theiroperator who must again adjust them. This is especially true of thesliding doors which are used on trucks,

Y' as for example, as set forth in our patent application for aninclosed dump body, Serial No. 426,621, filed February 18th, 1930.

It is the object'of our invention to inventively construct a clamp whichmay be attached to the lower edge of a sliding door to serve as aguiding means therefor. Moreover, this clamp not only serves to maintainthe door in a fixed locked position, when the clamp is released, but theclamp also serves to-guide the bottom part of the doorwhen it is in anopen position. Thus the clamp serves two distinct functions.

Another advantage gained is that the clamping jaws may slide relative totheir track and thus the bodyv may twist or warp while in use withoutcausing the doors to bind or jam, or break the brackets. The clampsslide upwardly and downwardly as the body twists.

Briefly described our invention consists of a fixed handle member whichextends downwardly from the bottom and outer side of the sliding doorand an inner movable handle member which is pivoted to the fixed handlemember so that its upper portion is located interiorly of the anglemember, which serves as a guide for the lowerpart of the door, while thelower portion of the movable handle member extends downwardly inparallelism with the Xed handle member. A coiled spring -extends betweenthe handle members and serves to keep the top portion or jaw of themovable handle member contacting tightlyV 'against the angle guidewhereby the door is locked in position.

1931. Serial No. 531,351.

The nature and scope of the invention are set forth in the followingspecification, taken with the drawing showing the construction in whichthe principle of our inventionv is embodied; and the novel featuresthereof are specified in the appended claims. But this disclosure isexplanatory only and we may in practice vary the structural detailsactually shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention, tothe full extent indicated by the broad and general meaning of the termsin which the appended claims are eX- pressed.

n the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view or elevation of a truck chassis having slidingdoors thereon, these sliding doors being equipped at their Vbottom edgeswith clamps constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section taken along the plane of the line 2--2of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view, also in cross section, taken along the line 3-3 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken at right angles to the viewshown in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, designates the chassis of Va truck, having a cab11, and a body 12. The body 12 is pivotally mounted as at 13 whereby itmay tilt rearwardly to dump its contents through the tail gate 14 in theusual manner. The body 12, when horizontal, rests upon the sill orsupporting member 15.

As shown in Fig. 1, two inner doors 16 and 17 are located at oppositeends of the body and two intermediate doors 18 and 19 are locatedtherebetween. These doors carry rollers 20 which traverse the trackelement 21 in the usual manner.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, 30 indicates a member which has adepending handle 31, which is recessed at 32, is fastened to its particular plate member as at 33. Each of the sliding doors carries one ofthese members as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The sliding doors 18 and 19have the members 30 attached thereto as shown in Fig. 3, while the doors16 and 17, being positioned behind the other two doors, have the membersattached to blocks 34 as shown in Fig. 2. Such is necessary in orderthat the member 30, which forms part of the clamping means or holdingthe doors as desired, should be in alined position. Flexible strapmembers 35, see Fig. 2, are placed between the several doors in order toprevent the escape of dust and the like from the interior of theenclosed truck body. Strap members 36 are positioned at the top andbottoms of the several doors for a like purpose.

Members 30, which serve as supporting brackets :tor the movable arms 5()of our clamping device, have ears 37 extending laterally therefrom.These ears are adapted to seat and be fastened into the ends of thehorizontal channel members 3S, see l, while, as previously stated, theupper part of the bracket 30 is fixed into the vertical channel 39. lfdesired, additional lower members i0 may be pro yided the corners of thesliding doors as shown in Fig. l.

Movable arms have depending handle member 5l, which is recessed asindicated at 52 and a pivot 53 connects the movable arm to the bracketmember 30 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The movable arm 50 has anupper portion or jaw 54 which is adapted to lie inside of the anglemember 55, this angle member 55 being iixed to the body l2 as shown inFig. 3. rlhe bracket member or iiXed handle member 80 has a stud 60received therein, this stud being oppositely disposed to the jaw 54E ofthe movable handle member 50 and located on the outer side of the anglemember spring 6l is positioned in the recesses 82 and 52 and serves topress he handles 3l and 5l from each other. Thus the jaw 5d ot thehandle member o() is pressed against one side of the flange of the angle55 and the set screw or stud G0 abuts exactly opposite thereto. The studis locked in position by means of the set screw 62.

The operation will be readily understood; The doors slide in overlappingrelationship to each other as is obvious from an inspection of thedrawing. The doors depend from rollers 20 and hence move very easilywhen they are free to do so. However, .the spring 6l keeps the handlemember pushed inwardly and thus the jaw 54, acting in conjunction withthe adjustable screw 60, clamps the flange ot the longitudinallyextending angle 55 therebetween and hence prevent any movement of thedoor until the members 3l and 5l are grasped by the operator and pressedtoward each other whereby the clamping device is released. Then thisoccurs th-e doors may be slid longitudinally as desired and release ofthe handle member locks the same in position.

lhile we have described a complete embodiinent of our invention we donot wish to be limited to the particular construction shown, ourinvention being infact limited solely by the attached claims.

`We claim:

l. A sliding door clamp of the class described coinprisiiig, a` bracketattached to and rigid with the slidingdoor, Said bracket eX- tendingbeyond the periphery of the door, a guide adjacent to said bracket, amovable member pivoted onto said bracket and having a jaw adjacent theguide whereby movement of the movable member will release or clamp theguide to thereby maintain the sliding door in a certain fixed position,and means to actuate the movable member.

2. A sliding door clamp as set forth in claim l but furthercharacterized by the fact that a spring `is interposed between thebracket member and the movable member whereby the jaw member of themovable member is actuated.

3. In combination, a door, means at the upper end of the door toslidably mount the same, a member fixed to and depending from the loweredge of said dooi, a movable member pivoted to the said previouslymentioned member, said last mentioned member having a jaw extendingupwardly, a fixed guide running parallel to the path of movement of thesliding door and located adjacent said jaw, adjustable means extendingthrough the lirst mentioned member in alinement'with said jaw, andhandle means on the movable member whereby said jaw may be broughttoward said adjustable means to clamp the guiding member therebetween.

d. A clamping device as set fort-h in claim 3 but further characterizedby the fact that spring means is interposed between the first and secondmembers whereby the adjustable means and the jaw means are respectivelyurged toward each other. I

5. In combination with a sliding` door, a bracket depending therefrom, amovable handle member pivoted to said bracket member and extending inboth directions from its pivot, a guiding member located between one endof said movable member and the bracket member whereby actuation of theother end of the movable member clamps the guiding means therebetween. il

6. In a device of the class described, a door, means at the upper edgeof said door to mount the same whereby it may be slid in a horizontaldirection, a bracket mounted on said door, a movable arm pivoted to saidbracket, and guiding means interposed between said bracket and saidmovable arm, said guiding means permitting movement of the bracket andarm thereover.

7. In combination with a sliding door, a bracket depending therefrom, amovable handle member pivoted to said bracket member and extending inboth directions from its pivot, a guiding member located between one endof said movable member` and the bracket member whereby actuation of theother end of the movable member clamps the guiding means therebetween,said guiding member being Hat whereby movement of the member clampedthereagainst is permitted.

8. A sliding door clamped of the class de- 1% scribed comprising, abracket attached to and rigid with the sliding door, said bracketextending beyond the periphery of the door, a lat member locatedadjacent to said bracket, a movable member pivoted onto said bracket andhaving a jaw adjacent the guide whereby movement of the movable memberwill release or clamp the guide to thereby maintain the sliding door ina certain fixed position, and means to actuate the movable member,

said jaw being adapted to slide on the guide when clamped thereagainstunder the inuence of an excessive predetermined pressure.

9. In a dump truck body having an inclined wall with an openingtherethrough, the combin-ation of a track element mounted on the body, adoor, roller means interposed between the door and the track elementwhereby the door is suspended from the trackelement, said door beinglocated on the upper side of said opening, a guide located adjacent thelower 4'portion of the door, and adjustable means on the door abuttingagainst the guide whereby the door is held substantially parallel to theopening in the truck body.

10. In combination, a body having an inclined wall with an openingtherethrough, a track near the top of the opening, a guide element nearthe bottom thereof, a door mounted on the track for rolling engagementtherewith, said door being above the opening, and sliding meansinterposed between the guide element and the door, said sliding meanspermitting the doo-r to swing about its axis of rolling engagementwhereby warping and distortion of the body will not cause binding of thedoor therewith.

f ll. A combination of elements as recited in claim 10 in which thesliding means is adjustable to vary the position of the door relative tothe body, said door being varied perpendicularly to its path of slidingmovement.

In testimony whereof we aiix our signatures.

ALBERT HULLEY. WILLIAM J. HULLEY.

